Bensidy family
by waterlooroad-jessica
Summary: Follow on from series 12 episode 1. Changed details so Brian and Olivia are dating a lot earlier. What happens when 5 year old Mackenzie is dumped once again but this time in Olivia's care. Need ideas for names. Let me know if you want me to continue
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: Please let me know if you want me to continue. Need ideas for the fic name and i've just uploaded a small chapter as a taster.

After reuniting the Burton's with their missing daughter Ella, Detective Olivia Benson headed back to the squad room at the One Six to work on her DD5's; the look Mackenzie had given her before she'd left had broken her heart a little. She felt for the young girl and knew that chances are, now that the Burton's had Ella back, Mackenzie would be pushed to one side. Settling down at her desk with a cup of coffee from Starbucks, she replied to her messages from her boyfriend of ten months, Brian Cassidy before starting on her paperwork; she was almost done when she got a call from the front desk to say she had a visitor. Sighing, she made her way down and saw Mackenzie waiting with an older lady who she recognised as the social worker that had gone to inspect the house during the investigation.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or any of its characters.

Authors note: Going to post another chapter. I apologise for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy.

"Mackenzie, what are you doing here?" She asked, crouching in front of her.

"They dont want me" she whispered, almost heart breakingly.

Olivia sighed softly as she stood up, lifting Mackenzie onto her hip and looked at the social worker.

"It's true; they've got Ella back and Mackenzie was...is surplus to requirements. They've signed custody over to you; you dont have to agree but I need an answer straightaway"

"Can she be taken away from me?

"I'll be overseeing the case myself" she assured the detective.

"Mackenzie, would you like to stay with me and my boyfriend?" Olivia asked.

Mackenzie nodded, rather tiredly.

"Where do I sign?"

"I'll be round in 48 hours to check on things; here's all her belongings. She'll need to be enrolled in school and she may need counselling" the social worker explained as Olivia signed the relevent paperwork.

After thanking the woman, Olivia called Brian to come and pick her up before arranging time off with Cragen and finishing her paperwork.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or any of its characters.

A/N: happy new year everyone. And I've explained more how Brian and Olivia came to be together again.

Within the hour, Brian was walking through the doors.

"You ready Liv? I thought we'd get take out" he faltered off as he noticed the young girl asleep in her lap.

"Who is this?" He whispered, crouching at the side of them.

"Her name is Mackenzie; I've...just been given custody of her" she answered, unsure of what his reaction would be.

"How old is she?"

"Five; her adoptive parents dumped her but this time...on me...us"

"I guess...we'd better get her home then"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah; she needs a family. Besides...she'll love Cocoa" he smiled, referring to their chocolate labrador puppy.

"She will" Olivia agreed, carefully standing up as Brian grabbed the bags.

He took Olivia's hand as they headed to the elevator and down to the SUV in the parking lot; as Olivia slid into the back seat with Mackenzie resting her head on her lap, Brian got into the driver's seat and started the car in the direction of their apartment.

They had been reconnected a year ago by coincidence and after two months of Brian wooing her and sending flowers and chocolates, Olivia had finally agreed to another date in which he'd surprised her with tickets to her favourite show and dinner at her favourite restaurant; from thay day, they had been seeing each other secretly until three months ago when they'd taken the next step and moved in together, thus announcing it to the rest of their friends.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or any of its characters. **

**A/N: here is the next chapter. I on making them longer. Please review and let me know what you think. You can do it here or on twitter - hamstergirl1989. **

As they pulled into the underground parking lot beneath their apartment complex, Mackenzie started to stir; seeing Brian, she started to whimper and cling to Olivia as tight as she could.

"It's okay Mac, this is my boyfriend Brian; he isn't going to hurt you, I promise"

She stroked her hair and kissed it; she helped Mackenzie out of the car and gave her the bear the young girl had been carrying before taking her hand as Brian grabbed the bags and locked the car. As they entered the apartment, Brian went and sorted the guest room whilst Olivia put her gun away; as she returned to the lounge, she found Mackenzie still standing by the door in her coat.

"Mackenzie, do you want to take your coat off sweetie?" Olivia asked, crouching in front of her.

Mackenzie's wide eyes darted around the lounge and kitchen areas before settling back onto Olivia's warm brown eyes and nodding; with their coats hanging up in the closet by the door, Olivia lifted Mackenzie onto her hip.

"Are you hungry?"

Mackenzie nodded.

"Do you want some Pizza?"

She nodded again; Olivia ordered their usual before showing Mackenzie into the little garden on the balcony to where Cocoa was sitting by the door.

"This is Cocoa" she said softly as she sat on the floor with Mac on her lap "She won't hurt you"

Mackenzie didn't say or do anything; over the next few hours, the silence from her continued. By the time Olivia was ready to settle her in bed, the little girl still hadn't said a word and the detective was beginning to think the social worker had a point about counselling for her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer;: I dont own SVU or any of its characters.**

A/N: Enjoy. Dont forget to review here or on twitter - hamstergirl1989

Olivia and Brian were awoken at just after midnight by piercing screams coming from Mackenzie's room; within seconds, Olivia was at her side, holding and rocking her.

"It's okay Mac, I'm here; ssh, that's okay, you're safe now" Olivia whispered, stroking her hair until Mackenzie had calmed down enough for her to look at Olivia. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Mackenzie nodded and snuggled further into Olivia's warm embrace; Olivia kissed her hair and held her close.

"Do you want to sleep in our bed tonight?"

"Yes" she whispered, her first word since she'd been handed over to Olivia at the station.

"Come on then sweetie"

Lifting her onto her hip, she carried her through to their bed where they settled down for a further three hours until Mackenzie had another nightmare about 4am; they went through the same technique as before which allowed them to finally sleep until just after eight. Opening her eyes, she saw Mackenzie watching her; she held her close and kissed her hair.

"Morning sweetie, are you hungry? Would you like some pancakes or waffles?"

"Pancakes please"

"Do you want to help me?"

"Can I?"

"Course you can, come on"

Taking her hand, the two brunettes headed into the kitchen area; they'd just sat down when Brian joined them. Although Mackenzie didnt cling to Olivia like the previous day, she was quiet; Brian could sense how uncomfortable she was feeling so decided to make a suggestion.

"How about we go out for the day?"

"Where to?" Olivia asked.

"How about the zoo Mackenzie?"

Mackenzie's eyes lit up and Olivia noticed the smile and insistant nodding of her head.

"I think that's a yes" Olivia chuckled.

After breakfast was eaten, they got ready and headed to the zoo; Olivia smiled at Mackenzie bouncing between them, holding both of thier hands. After lunch, they headed to the hardware store where Olivia lifted the 5 year old onto her hip while Brian pushed the cart.

"How about we get some pink paint and fairy lights for your bedroom?"

"No pink"

"What do you want?"

"Purple"

"Purple it is then"

After choosing the paint, they headed to the toy store next door where Mackenzie's face lit up once again; Olivia and Brian watched happily as she ran into the stuffed bear aisle and gazed around.

"Wow" she gasped, feeling them.

"Wanna get some for your new bedroom? And some toys too?" Olivia asked.

Mackenzie nodded hesitantly, suddenly unsre and sad; Olivia lifted her up and stroked her hair back.

"What's the matter Mac?"

"You leave me too?" She whispered.

"Me and Brian are never going to leave you, I promise; we want to keep you forever"

"They said that"

"I know they did baby but we mean it; we want to make you happy and have a family with you but only if you want us to be your new mommy and daddy"

"No leave me?" She questioned.

"Pinky promise" Olivia whispered, holding her little finger up for Mackenzie to show how serious she was - to which Mackenzie agreed. "Let's go shopping, eh?"

Mackenzie nodded enthusiastically causing Olivia and Brian to smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or any of its characters.

A/N: heres a short update... I know its not a lot but havent had time for any writing today at all. Let me know if there is anything you want to see happen. Please bear in mind I havent seen any of season 14 or 15 yet.

That evening, Olivia helped Mackenzie to take a bath, read her a story and settled her in bed before snuggling against Brian on the sofa with a glass of wine each.

"How you doing baby?" He asked, running his fingers through her hair.

"Did I make the right decision Bri?"

"About what?"

"Letting Mackenzie stay; I'm not exactly an expert on parenting, am I?"

"Me neither but we'll figure it out"

"What if we cant? She needs stabilty and love and care; what if we get her hopes up for nothing?"

"Liv, you've done nothing but give her hope and love and stability; yes, she's got the nightmares but she also has you to protect her"

"I dont know Bri" she sighed "Something just doesn't feel right...I...dont feel right in myself. I have this feeling something is going to happen and I cant shake it"

"What do you mean you dont feel right in yourself?"

"Doesn't matter; I'm probably just tired" she whispered, taking a sip of her wine.

"Get an early night; I have work tomorrow but you and Mackenzie can enjoy yourself. Take her to the park or sort her room out"

"Hmmm"

"You'll figure it out baby; can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm going for a shower"

"Okay"

He kissed her forehead before she went into their en suite; when Brian finally headed into bed, he saw Olivia was already sleeping somewhat peacefully.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or any of its characters.

A/N: heres the next chapter. Enjoy.

The next day, with Brian at work, Olivia and Mackenzie had eaten breakfast and gotten dressed before sitting on the sofa.

"What shall we do today?" Olivia asked, brushing Mackenzie's hair into a ponytail.

"Play"

"Play where?"

"With Brian"

"Brian's at work baby but we can still go play or go out or stay in"

"Want Brian" Mackenzie whispered.

"I know you do; tell you what, why dont we make a picnic and see if he can meet us for lunch? I'm not promising that he will be able to though"

"Can we make him cake? Please Olivia"

"Course we can; go and wash your hands"

By the time they were ready, Brian had called to say he had arranged a couple of days off and was on his way home; Mackenzie was so excited she was sat up to the table drawing him a picture. Olivia stood against the cabinets with a drink in her hands, smiling at Mackenzie's acceptance of Brian; she rubbed her eyebrow with the back of her hand and stifled a yawn. Despite all the years of broken sleep with the job, been a parent and the tiredness that came with it was an entirely new feeling and experience; hearing the key in the lock, she put her cup down and hugged Brian as he shut the door behind him.

"Hey baby, you still feeling rough?" He asked, noticing the bags under her eyes and the slight fever.

"I'm fine, glad you're home though" she whispered, resting against him.

"Brian, I did you a picture" Mackenzie smiled, shyly as she handed him the paper. "And we made you cake"

"You did? Let's have a look then"

She went into the kitchen with him and Olivia and knelt on the dining chair.

"That's brilliant, thank you; how about we let Olivia get some sleep so she feels better and we can go out?"

"Where?"

"Anywhere you want"

"The park"

"We can even get an ice cream"

Mackenzie smiled and ran off to find her sneakers as Brian turned to Olivia.

"I want you to get some sleep; we'll be back in a couple of hours"

"But she..."

"She'll be fine; there's gonna be a time when you cant be with her and she has to get used to that. Besides, she isnt exactly saying no to going out with me, is she?"

"I trust you Bri"

"Ready Brian"

"Okay sweetheart, give Olivia a cuddle"

"Bye Olivia" she said, hugging her tightly.

"Bye Mac, you have fun and I'll see you in a little bit, okay?"

Mackenzie nodded and put her coat on before taking Brian's hand; he kissed Olivia before they left. Olivia sighed and headed to her bed, hoping that the afternoon would go well for both Brian and Mackenzie.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or any of the characters.

At the park, Brian and Mackenzie were sat on a bench eating an ice cream; just as the 5 year old was about to take another lick of her treat, a football came flying past her, causing her to scream and knock her ice cream to the floor - thus sending her into floods of tears.

"Hey Mac, it's okay" Brian said, unsure how to deal with upset children, as he put his spoon into his ice cream boat and set it on the bench and lifted Mackenzie onto his lap. "Okay, er, do you want another ice cream?"

Mackenzie shook her head.

"You gotta help me out here Mac; I'm not very good with children. It wasn't your fault, it was an accident and we can buy you another one or something else if you want?"

Mackenzie sniffed and looked up at him.

"Sorry Brian"

"It's okay" he said, wiping her eyes. "What do you want to do? Another ice cream or something else?"

"Chocolate?"

"Okay, chocolate it is then and maybe we can go to the store and buy some flowers for Livvy to make her feel better?" He suggested, taking her hand as they headed towards the store.

"And a present?"

"What kind of present?" He asked her as she picked out a chocolate bar from the selection and he paid for it, letting her eat it as they headed to the flower stall.

"A bear; Stuffy makes me happy"

"A bear it is; do you want to get her anything else?" He asked, choosing the flowers - red roses - and paying the vendor.

"Dont know"

"How about we get her some nice chocolates and some nice jewellery, maybe a necklace?"

"And a card"

"Yeah, we can get a card too" he chuckled.

After getting everything they needed and writing the card, they got some lunch from McDonald's before heading back to their apartment; they quietly hung their coats up and went into the bedroom where Olivia was sat up in bed, reading a book.

"Hey baby, did you have fun?" She asked, holding her close under the duvet seeing she was clearly tired.

"I dropped my ice cream"

"Oh no, did Brian buy you another one?"

"She wanted chocolate instead; shall we give Olivia her presents?"

"Yeah, me do it"

He chuckled and handed her the giftbag which Mackenzie gave her the bear.

"Thank you baby" she said as Mackenzie gave her the card. "Thank you for been my mommy, I love you. Mackenzie"

"I call you mommy?" Mackenzie asked.

"I would love it if you called me mommy; I love you too Mackenzie"

"We got more"

"You did?" Olivia whispered, holding back the tears as she was given the chocolates and flowerd before Brian gave her the long thin box.

"Wow" she gasped at the simple gold locket which had a picture or Mackenzie and Brian on each side; Brian helped her to put it on before she kissed them both. As Mackenzie drifted off, Brian lay next to her and held her in his arms.

"How you feeling?" He asked.

"A whole lot better now; how did it go?"

"Good, she was upset about her ice cream but she soon perked up"

"I love you...both of you...so much"

"And we love you too; why dont we all take a little nap?" He suggested.

She smiled and snuggled against him, Mackenzie in her arms and the bear close.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: please check you have read chapter 8 first before reading this one. Enjoy.

The next day, they had taken Mackenzie to a local school where she would be enrolled for kindergarten for the following Monday; with Mackenzie holding both of their hands, they followed the principal to the room full of 5 year oldd and were greeted by the teacher.

"Miss Benson, I'm Marion Jones"

"Nice to meet you; this is my boyfriend Brian and our daughter Mackenzie" Olivia introduced.

"A pleasure; hi Mackenzie. My names Miss Jones and I'll be your teacher" she smiled.

"No mommy" Mackenzie cried, wanting to be lifted into her arms.

"It's okay baby; you'll only be here while me and daddy are at work and then one of us will pick you up. You'll have lots of fun; look at all the toys to play with" she explained, holding her tight and close.

"You leave me too"she said sadly"

"We won't ever leave you"

"I can see this is a big change for her; why dont you come back on Friday for an hour?" Miss Jones suggested.

"Thank you"

As they left, Olivia rubbed Mackenzie's back until she had calmed down enough to stop the tears flowing down her face and for Olivia to wipe them away.

"It's okay princess; we're not going to leave you, I promise"

"Where does our angel want to go?" Brian asked as they got into the SUV and buckled up.

"Home" she answered, miserably.

"We don't have to; we can go anywhere you want"

"Home" she repeated.

"Okay, home we go" Brian said as Olivia sighed.

When they reached their apartment, Mackenzie went into her room and started playing with her new toys; when lunch was ready, Olivia went into Mackenzie's room and found her daughter sitting in the corner, curled into a ball and holding her bear closed as she cried.

"Oh baby, what's the matter?" Olivia asked as she sat on the floor in front of her.

"You leave me"

"No Mac" Olivia sighed"you know how I saved you when you ran away?"

Mackenzie sniffed and nodded.

"Well, that's my job, to help people when they're hurt or in trouble; if me and Brian dont work, we cant buy you all these toys or look after you can we?"

"No leave"

"It's only for a little bit to start with, I promise; and when you start having fun and making friends then you can have sleepovers and parties. We will always remember to pick you up, I promise"

She wiped away the tears as Mackenzie climbed into her lap and snuggled close, allowing Olivia to stroke her hair.

"It's okay, are you hungry? Brian made us some yummy grilled cheese sandwiches"

"Yeah"

"Come on, and afterwards we can watch a movie if you want?" She suggested, standing up with Mackenzie holding her hand.

"The Little Mermaid?"

"Yes" she smiled as they sat at the table.

With their grilled cheese sandwiches eaten, they settled down on the sofa and watched the movie with Mackenzie until both Olivia and the little girl had drifted off, leading Brian to wonder if Olivia was coming down with something or if her tiredness was down to something else entirely.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

When Olivia awoke, she found Brian in Mackenzie's room, painting; as the paint fumes hut her nostrils, her stomach churned and she made a beeline for the bathroom to empty her stomach contents. As she splashed her face and turned round, she saw the concerned look on Brian's face. She sighed and stood in his arms.

"Baby, maybe you should go to the doctors?"

"I'm fine"

"No, you're not; you've been off for weeks. It's more than just the job catching up with you; you need to get checked out"

"I'm fine; it's just a bug"

"Promise me you'll go on Monday if you dont feel any better?"

"I promise"

"Okay, but if you get any worse, I'm taking you myself" he warned.

"Okay"

"Mommy" they heard Mackenzie cry.

Olivia went back into the lounge and sat next to Mackenzie, stroking her hair as she climbed into her lap.

"Mommy's here baby; do you want to help me cook?"

"Daddy Brian?" She sniffed.

"He's painting your room; my boss is coming for dinner tonight and I bet, if you asked him really nicely, he will let you call him grandpa. Would you like that?"

"We make food?"

"Yeah, we are gonna make chicken and noodles and rolls and maybe a cake too" she answered as she held Mackenzie's hand and led her to the kitchen, lifting her onto the counter to wash their hands.

That evening, with Mackenzie happily allowing Cragen to read her a bedtime story, Olivia and Brian were cleaning the kitchen. She'd just turned round from picking up a plate when shr went light-headed. Seeing his girlfriend sway, Brian quickly put the plate on the side and caught her just before she hit the floor.

A/N: next chapter will be as soon as possible. Halfway through it already. Enjoy and dont forget to review.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

Olivia came round instantly and tried to brush it off.

"I'm fine" she insisted.

"No, you're not and I dont care what you say, I'm taking you to the hospital to get checked out"

"But Mackenzie. .."

"Will be fine with her grandpa; go and get checked out princess" Cragen said, having witnessed his surrogate daughter's fainting spell.

She sighed and nodded, admitting defeat; he helped her into her coat before guiding her out of the apartment. As they sat in the waiting room for a doctor to see her, Brian took her hand and squeezed, causing her to look up at him.

"It's gonna be okay, I promise; if it's just a bug, I'll look after you. If it's anything else, I'll be right there to support you"

"Olivia Benson" the nurse called.

Gripping Brian's hand, she followed the blonde haired nurse into a room and sat on the bed.

"I'm just gonna ask a few questions before the doctor comes in; what seems to be the problem?"

"It's nothing..."

"She's been feeling tired a lot lately, throwing up a couple of times and she fainted about an hour ago" Brian explained.

"Any changes in your routine?" The nurse asked, making notes.

"We've just gained custody of a five year old but i'm off work to get her settled" Olivia answered.

"Loss of appetite?"

"Not really, no more than usual"

"Okay, when was your last period?"

"Not sure, I've always been irregular"

"Well, we'll do a blood test and a pregnancy test to be on the safe side"

Olivia nodded and looked up at Brian; he smiled and wrapped his arm around her as the nurse did the blood test. Twenty minutes later, the doctor entered the room; she tightly held Brian's hand, unsure of what the test would reveal.

"Well Miss Benson, congratulations, it seems you are pregnant; I'd like to do a scan to determine how far along you are"

"What?" She whispered.

"If you'd like to lie back on the bed and lift your top" he said as the nurse brought the ultrasound machine in. "This will be cold"

She nervously looked at the screen as the heartbeat filled the room and a clear outline of their baby was on the monitor.

"Looking at this, I'd actually put you at around the 14 week mark; the sickness and tiredness was your baby's way of telling you he or she was there"

"I've been drinking" she admitted.

"How much?" The doctor asked, handing her a paper towel before filling in the paperwork.

"Just a few glasses of wine"

"Okay, we'll monitor you so long as you dont drink anymore, you should be okay; I'm going to give you this. If you take it to reception on your way out, they will give you a pack, along with your ultrasounds and book your next appointment with a OBGYN doctor"

"Okay" she whispered, taking the papers off him.

"Miss Benson, try not to worry; if the sickness continues, you can see your OBGYN and the receptionist will give you some vitamins to take"

She nodded and smiled slightly as Brian took her hand; he thNked the doctor and nurse before they headed out. With all the necessary paperworks, pills and ultrasounds in their hands, they got back into their SUV.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

As Brian was about to pull off, Olivia let the tears overcome her.

"Hey baby, it's okay; we'll figure it out. Try a d and calm down for me"

"I...we...Mac"

"Ssh, we'll figure it out; we dont have to tell anyone else unless you want to" he said, gently wiping away her tears and kissing her. "Okay, let's go home and rest"

"I should tell Don"

"It's entirely up to you baby" he responded as he pulled out of the parking space.

"We're going to have to move" she said.

"Not rightaway we dont"

"What about Mac? She's already vulnerable and insecure"

"We'll include her in it every step of the way; make sure she knows that we aren't sending her back or ignoring her. Liv, the only question you should be asking is...do you want this?"

"Of course I do; it's all I've ever wanted. You know that more than anyone; I cant believe you could even ask me that?" She snapped.

"I'm sorrt; I love you Liv. I dont know what else I can say to help you"

"I know" she sighed. "I do want this baby though; I'm just...worried about Mac, that's all. I guess I freaked out a little, eh?" She chuckled.

"You're allowed to freak out; you just found out we are about to become parents in around five months"

"Yeah"

"I love you Olivia Benson"

"You're not too bad to love yourself" she smiled as he pulled into the parking lot beneath their apartment complex.

A/N: so Olivia's had her meltdown. Next chapter will be Cragen finding out and possibly how Mackenzie will react.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: so several people have asked for longer chapters. I am trying. Im writing it by hand so it might be three pages in the book but only a page a half equivalent on screen. Anyway here is Cragen's reaction and the build up to Mackenzies. Oh and for those who are wondering, Elliot wont be in this story much maybe just as a friend so ive included the part from Scorched Earth when Cragen told Liv he'd put his papers in but he tells her over the phone in this.

As they entered their apartment, they hung their coats in the closet before Olivia went to check on Mackenzie and put the stuff in her room; she joined them back in the lounge and sat in Brian's arms on the sofa.

"What did the doctor say?" Cragen asked.

"I'm pregnant" Olovia blurted out.

"Wow"

She sighed and headed into the bedroom; getting changed, she laid in the bed and cursed at herself. She knew she should be happy about the baby, and although a big part of her was, she couldnt help but worry about how Mackenzie would handle it. Hearing the front door close, she wiped her eyes and pretended to be asleep as Brian entered the room and got into bed after shedding his shirt and jeans onto the floor.

"Liv, I know you're not asleep, talk to me"

When she didnt answer, he turned out the lamp, rested a hand on her stomach and went to sleep; Olivia, however, didnt; she continued to lie there, not sleeping until Mackenzie's screams disturbed her thoughts. Carefully, she moved from Brian's embrace and went into her daughter's room; sitting on the bed, she held her close and rocked her.

"What's the matter princess?"

"Bad dream"

"Oh no; what was it about?" She asked, stroking her hair.

"You leave me 'gain"

"We're not going to leave you, I promise; want me to stay with you tonight?"

"Yeah"

"Okay, let's snuggled then"

Moving down under the covers, Olivia held her close and finally was able to let herself get some sleep; when she awoke again, Brian was sat on the end of the bed and Mackenzie wasnt there. She sighed and sat up, running her fingers through her long brown hair; she looked at her stomach and noticed the small bump that had appeared throughout the night.

"Where's Mackenzie?" She asked.

"Watching cartoons; ready to talk?"

"I'm sorry; I...was tired and emotional and let it get to me. Forgive me?"

"Nothing to forgive baby; just dont shut me out, okay?"

"I promise"

"How you feeling?" He asked as she stood in his arms.

"Tired...but hungry more"

"How about I make pancakes?"

"Yes please"

"Pancakes coming up; looks like you're showing already baby" he said, touching her small bump.

"Yeah, definitely going to have to tell Mac now; as soon as we've eaten"

"However she reacts, we'll handle it"

"I know"

He kissed her before she pulled on his hoodie and followed Brian out of the bedroom; she smiled as Mackenzie ran over and jumped into her arms.

"Hey princess; daddy is going to make pancakes. Are you hungry?"

"Yep"

"Go and wash your hands then"

With Mackenzie busy, Brian made the pancakes as Olivia set the table; after eating, they sat on the sofa, Mackenzie between them.

"Princess, mommy and daddy need to talk to you okay?"

"Me in trouble?"

"No, you're not in trouble, I promise; last night, mommy had to go to the doctor because I wasnt feeling too good"

"I go doctor?" She asked.

"You dont need to; but last night, the doctor told mommy and daddy that...we're going to have a baby"

"Baby?"

"Yeah, a baby but that doesnt mean we dont love you or that we're going to send you back because we're not. We want you and we love you so much; you will be a great big sister" Olivia explained.

"My mommy and daddy" she whispered.

"And we always will be, forever"

"Princess, the baby isnt going to be here for months yet so we still have lots of times to do fun things with you, anything you want" Brian said, stroking her hair.

"Do you want a cuddle princess?" Olivia asked.

Mackenzie nodded and climbed into her lap; whilst the young girl's reaction hadnt been a complete disaster, Olivia couldnt help but wonder if a tantrum was to come later on.

"Do you want to go to the park? Or to the indoor play centre?" Olivia asked. "Or we can go to the toy store"

"Play centre"

"Okay, let's get dressed then"

After spending a day at the play centre and treating Mackenzie to dinner and a new toy and book to read that night, they headed home and settled Mackenzie in bed; as Olivia came out of the shower having dressed in a tank top and bottoms, her phone started ringing.

"Benson...Capt, is there a case?" She asked, sitting on the bed and drying her hair with a towel.

"No, I thout you'd like to know. Elliot put his papers in. There was nothing I could do"

"He's earned it" she said as Brian came in and sat on the bed.

"And then some. You wanna talk?"

"No"

"You wanna take another day?"

"I'm fine" she whispered after a slight pause, clearly emotional.

"Liv, i'm sorry" Cragen apologised before hanging up as Olivia collapsed in tears.

Brian instantly held her close having put together what the news was about; he had seen how Olivia had been affected with Elliot leaving and now that it was official, she couldn't even get any closure until Elliot had decided to talk to her himself. He kissed her hair and pulled the covers over them as she cried herself into another restless night's sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: sorry for the wait. Hope this clears up the Elliot bombshell. Only a shirt one im afraid.

The next morning, Olivia left Mackenzie with Brian before heading to a diner she often visited; she sat in a booth and ordered an orange juice as she waited for her former partner to join her. As he walked in, he told the waitress what he wanted and joined Olivia; he could tell by her facial expression that he had upset her.

"Liv, I..."

"Why? Why didnt you tell me? Wasn't I worth more than a phone call from Cragen?"

"I...was going to tell you"

"When?"

"Last night? I was planning on calling you but then Cragen said you'd left and was on leave"

"Didnt our twelve year partnership mean anything to you?"

"Of course" he answered as the waitress put the coffee on the table and left. "I screwed up , I know that; I'm working through a whole lot of issues that I've bottled up for years"

"You're really never coming back?"

"No, it's better for my family"

"Maybe it's time for me to go too" she wondered, aloud.

"You leaving SVU? That'll never happen"

"Things change" she remarked, sipping at her orange juice, trying to not let the nausea overcome her. "I've changed"

"Still with Brian?"

"Yep"

"Things good?"

"Yep, just gained custody of a five year old"

"That's great Liv"

"She's amazing"

"You look good, maybe a little tired"

"Yeah, well" she sighed. "I didnt have a good night's sleep, did I?!"

"I really am sorry for how you found out Liv; I do want our friendship though"

"I...I dont know El; you...haven't spoke to me since you walked out thr squad room. You didnt answer my calls or messages; that day affected me too but I couldnt even talk to you about it. I need time to consider my feelings"

"I respect that"

"I'll contact you when I'm ready but if you dont respond...that's it" she warned.

"Okay"

"I should go; Brian and Mackenzie are waiting for me at home" she said, standing up; she had purposely left her coat on to cover her small bump.

"Course" he replied, standing in front of her.

"It was good seeing you El" she mumbled before leaving.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: so I havent got many reviews at all for the last two chapters. Only like 2. Please tell me if you dont want me to continue or if there is something you'd like me to include.

As she got into a yellow taxi, she sighed and rested a hand on her bump; pulling up outside the apartment complex, she paid the driver and got out. Entering the apartment, she smiled at the sound of Mackenzie's laugh echoing throughout; walking through to the bedroom, she saw them both painting the walls.

"Mommy" Mackenzie smiled, noticing her.

"Hey princess"

"You okay?" Brian asked.

"I'm gonna have a lie down" she nodded.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired"

She kissed Mackenzie and Brian before going into the bedroom; as she awoke from her nap two hours later, she saw Mackenzie standing in the doorway.

"Hey princess, are you okay?" She asked, holding her arms out.

"Missed you mommy" she pouted, lying in her safe arms.

"I missed you too; mommy had to go and meet someone this morning but you had fun with daddy, didnt you?"

Mackenzie nodded as Olivia ran her fingerd through her long dark hair.

"Do you want to do something fun this afternoon?"

"What?"

"Anything you want"

"I want grandpa"

"Okay, I'll see if he's free to come over; do you like having a grandpa?"

"He nice...and cuddly"

"He is; how would you like to meet your aunt Alex?"

"She nice?"

"Very nice; she's mommy's best friend. Shall we ask her to come for dinner tomorrow?"

"And grandpa?"

"Well, if he comes today, he might not be able to come tomorrow as well"

"Please mommy?"

"Okay, mommy will call them; is daddy still painting your room?" She asked, sitting up and reaching for her phone.

"He making food"

"Go wash your hands then princess, mommy will be out in a minute"

After sending messages to Cragen and Alex and getting replies, Olivia joined her boyfriend and daughter in the kitchen. When the doorbell rang an hour later, Olivia held Mackenzie's hand and opened the door.

"Grandpa"

"Hi there" he said, shutting the door behind him and lifting her up. " I have a present for you"

"What is it?" She asked as they sat on the sofa.

Olivia smiled as she watched Cragen hand her daughter the bear and colouring book.

"Look mommy"

"That's great princess, go and show daddy; mommy needs to talk to grandpa"

As Mackenzie ran off, Olivia sat next to Cragen on the sofa.

"I'm sorry for walking out on you the other day" she apologised.

"Forgotten about; how you doing?"

"Okay, I spoke to El this morning; we've...kinda cleared the air"

"That's good; does he know about the baby?"

"No, I'm not ready to forgive him just yet"

"He was going to tell you"

"I know but...I have other things to worry about right now"

"How's the baby doing?"he asked as Brian and Mackenzie came back in.

"Okay, making itself known" she said, gesturing to her small bump as Mackenzie sat back on Cragen's lap.

"Any morning sickness?"

"A little but...I'm already 14 weeks gone so I've missed the sickness stage"

"14 weeks, wow; you know you'll have to be on desk?"

"Er...I was thinking of using some of built up vacation time"

"How long?"

"I dont know; I think I need a break from it all. Especially at the moment"

"Well you just let me know"

"Come see my room grandpa"

"Let's go princess"

With Mackenzie with Cragen, Olivia sat on Brian's lap and snuggled against him.

"You still tired baby?" He whispered.

"Yeah, I'm fine"

"Go and take a nap"

"No, we have company"

"Mommy, me go park?" Mackenzie asked.

"Not today sweetheart; we'll go tomorrow"

"Go with grandpa?" She pouted.

"If that's okay with you? Give you two some time along together"

"Okay, be a good girl for grandpa" she said, kissing her hair and hugging her.

"Anything I should know?" Cragen asked.

"Er...she cant have nuts; she's not long eaten so she shouldnt be hungry and if she wants a drink, only juice or lemonade"

"Okay"

"She can have a small ice cream but be careful she doesnt drop it again"

"No problem, let's go princess"

"Bye mommy, bye daddy"

"Bye angel" Brian said as Olivia rested bavk against his chest. "You are an amazing mom"

"Mmm"

"How about we get you into bed? You really dontlook too good"

"I dont feel too good" she moaned.

"Come on"

Brian lifted her into a fireman lift and carried her through to the bedroom abd settled her in bed; he checked her temperature - which was normal - before sitting and watching her sleep. He knew she hadnt been taking care of herself properly and that dhe would have to start; he kissed her forehead and stroked her hair as she slept solidly for two hours.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

Olivia awoke to the sound of Cocoa barking and Cragen knocking on the door; she sighed and rested against the pillow as she heard little footsteps running towards the bedroom.

"Hi mommy, for you" Mackenzie said as she climbed on the bed and gave her the flowers.

"Thanks baby"

"You feel bad?"

"A little baby; did you have fun at the park with grandpa?"

"He got me balloon"

"That's great"

"You tired mommy?"

"Yeah baby"

"Me go play" she said.

"Hey, Mac, mommy could really do with a cuddle from her baby girl"

Mackenzie snuggled against her; with Olivia going back to sleep, Mackenzie had her bath and settled in bed.

Two days later, Olivia was still tired but determined to go with her daughter for her first morning at Kindergarten; she got her dressed into jeans, a purple turtleneck, sneakers and her hair tied back before she got dressed herself. At the Kindergarten, Mackenzie was on Olivia's hip as Miss Jones approached them and smiled.

"Hi Mackenzie, are you going to have some fun with us today?"

"No" she mumbled into Olivia's shoulder.

"Mac, remember what we talk about this morning?" Olivia asked, brushing her hair back. "We said if you were a brave girl, we'd have a surprise for you, didnt we?"

Mackenzie nodded.

"Can you be a brave girl for us? We love you, okay? And we'll be back in a couple of hours. You dont have to be scared; we love you"

"Love you too mommy and daddy"

"I love you too princess, be good, okay?" Brian said, kissing her before Olivia did the same and set her on to the ground. She blew her another kiss before leaving with Brian; as they got back into the SUV, she sighed and looked at her boyfriend.

"Ready to get her surprise ready?" He asked.

"Mmm"

"Sure you're feeling up to it?"

"Yeah, it's for our daughter; besides, we can announce the pregnancy" she answered as he started to navigate through the traffic.

"My two angels can have a nap after lunch; keeps her occupied"

She nodded and smiled.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

When they picked Mackenzie up at midday, they smiled at their daughter bouncing towards them with a piece of paper in her hands; she walked into Olivia's opened arms as the detective crouched down.

"Hey baby, did you have fun?" She asked, hugging her close.

"Me did you a picture?" She said, showing her the piece of paper. "It me and you and daddy and grandpa and baby and aunt Alex"

"That is beautiful; can you go and get your coat for me?"

As Mackenzie ran off to get her coat, Olivia stood up and turned her attention to Miss Jones.

"How was she this morning?"

"A little quiet at first but soon perked up and started joining in; you have a very clever little girl Miss Benson"

"Thank you"

"Ready mommy" Mackenzie said, running up to her and taking her hand.

"Can you say bye to Miss Jones?"

"Bye"

"Bye Mackenzie, we'll see you tomorrow"

Olivia smiled as she, Mac and Brian headed to the SUV and climbed in.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" Olivia asked as she strapped her in.

"What is it?"

"You'll see but first...we have to get you some new clothes to wear"

"Maccies?"

"Yeah, I think we can get you some Maccies" she smiled, kissing her hair and getting in the front passenger seat.

That evening, they were stood in their lounge, greeting and talking to the various guests; Brian tapped the glass, causing everyone to stop talking and looking at them.

"Thanks for coming; er, originally this party was just for welcoming our princess into the family" Olivia smiled. "But we've had some other news"

"Liv and I..."

"And me" Mackenzie included.

"And Mac" he chuckled along with everyone else. "Are expecting a baby"

Everyone congratulated and cheered for them.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

Eight weeks later, it was Christmas Eve and the ground was covered in snow; Olivia had decided to take extended leave until after her maternity leave had finished in order to get some rest, take it easy and spend some special time with Mackenzie. As she awoke to Mackenzie climbing into bed and kissing her, she smiled and held her daughter close; grateful she finally had a family to spend Christmas with instead of alone or just with Brian.

"Hey princess, guess what?"

"What mommy?"

"We get to see the baby again today and we can find out if you are getting a sister or brother" she answered.

"I want sister"

"I know you do but we'll have to see"

"Hungry"

"Okay, do you want pancakes or waffles?" She asked, pulling on her robe.

"Pancakes...please"

"Come on then, you can help mommy make them before daddy gets up"

Aftee breakfast, she sent Mac to get dressed whilst she washed up; she smiled as she felt Brian's hands wrapping around her waist and settling on her rounded bump.

"How's mommy and baby doing?"

"Mommy is fine, so is baby"

"You excited about today? " he asked as she turned in his arms.

"Yeah, I wanna start looking for a bigger place for us that's still close to Mac's school; then we can get started on the nursery after Christmas"

"I have a surprise for you later"

"You do?"

"Yeah...for Mac too"

"What is it?"

"You'll see; why dont I finished up here and you can go and get ready? "

"Thanks; I love you"

"I love you too"

He kissed her softly before she disappeared out of the room; that that morning, they were in the consultation room, Olivia lying on the bed with the sonographer running the doppler over her bump.

"Here's your baby" the blonde haired medic said. "Everything looks perfect; you are due at the end of April, beginning of May. Would you like to know the sex?"

"Yes please"

"Okay...you are having...a girl; congratulations"

"You hear thatbaby, you're getting a sister" Brian said to Mackenzie.

"Yay"

"Well, we will see you in around six weeks; any problems give us a call"

"Thank you"


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: I apologise for the lack of updates recently. Just started a new temporary job but here you are.

After some lunch, they got back into the SUV and Olivia allowed Brian to drive them to their surprise; as he pulled up outside a brownstone with a garage, Olivia looked at him.

"What are we...?" She asked, confused.

"It's my surprise; what do you think?"

"It's...but how?"

"We can afford it...even with you on maternity and we can rent out the apartment; wanna look inside? Mom's been helping me with the decorating"

"Of course I want to see it"

Getting out of the car, shw held Mackenzie's hand in one of hers and Brian's with the other; she couldnt believe how perfect the house was for them.

"Bri...this is...it's perfect" she said, standing in his arms.

"There's more; princess, wanna see your new room? There might be some new toys for you too"

"Yay"

Upstairs, Mackenzie was in awe of her new room; it was the same purple as she'd had on the wall in the apartment with lots of toys and a new bed.

"Wow"

"What do you think princess?" Olivia asked.

"I love it" she beamed happily.

"You have a look at your toys and me and mommy will be in the next room" Brian said to Mackenzie, leading Olivia out of the room and into the ready made nursery. The walls were yelliw, there was everything they would; she looked at everything and turned to Brian.

"You like?"

"It's perfect"

"Well, there's a seperate toilet downstairs and a paved off pool out back and...we can spend christmas here if you want?"

"What about the tree and the presents and the guys are meant to be coming tonight?"

"We have Alex who would love to spend time with her niece and the guys said they'd help me move the stuff while you put together a bag of clothes for us and the food"

"Okay but...on one condition"

"What's that?"

"Alex gets the clothes and brings them back; she can just pack everything in all the cases. I need a nap Bri..."

"Okay babe; you take a nap with our princess and when you wake up, it'll all be done and we'll get takeout for tonight"

"Thank you...god, you're perfect" she whispered, sitting down on her and Brian's new and freshly made bed with Mackenzie.

"I'll be back soon"

He kissed them both before leaving as Olivia and Mackenzie laid in the bed, snuggled close as they both slept happily.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: apologies for the wait. Been ill and started a new temporary job.

Waking from their nap two hours later, they headed downstairs where Alex was helping Brian to decorate the tree.

"Auntie Alex" Mackenzie called as she ran over and jumped into her arms.

"Hi special girl, did you have a nice nap?"

"Yep, come see my room"

"Okay"

As Mackenzie showed Alex where to go, Olivia helped Brian with the tree.

"How did you sleep?"

"Perfect"

"And our baby girl?"

"She's good; couldnt the guys help?"

"They were wrapping up a case so they could come tonight but Alex offered to help; I've put Cocoa in the conservatory"

"Okay"

"You okay? You seem quiet" he asked, taking her hand and rest one on her cheek.

"Yeah, sorry; er, did you get all the food?"

"Yeah, we got everything; baby, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

"Nothing" she lied.

"Tell me"

"I'm just emotional"

"Why? Is there something you dont like? We can change it"

"It's perfect; I...I have everything I could want and a baby on the way too"

"It's only what you deserve"

"I know...just ignore me; where are the presents?"

"In the cupboard by the door"

"Okay"

"Liv, why dont you ask Alex if she'd like to spend Christmas with us? We have the guest room ready"

"Why?"

"Because I think even though you've been waiting for this for a long time, you're feeling a little overwhelmed with it all and you could do with your best friend"

"No, I'll be fine; this is our first family Christmas. I'm just tired and excited and nervous about Mac and..."

"You said she didnt have any family left?"

"No, her mom died a couple of years after mine; there's no one else"

"So she might like the company too; there's plenty of food and Cragen is coming too so...ask her"

"Okay, I'll ask her"

"Ask who what?" Alex as she and Mac reentered the room.

"We were wondering, and you dont have to but...would you like to spend the holidays with us?" Olivia asked as Brian lifted Mackenzie up.

"Are you sure?"

"Would you like Auntie Alex to spend tomorrow with us princess?" Brian asked Mac.

"Yep. Please auntie Alex?"

"Who would say no to that? I'd love to"

"Yay" Mackenzie beamed.

"I'm gonna go and get my stuff and presents" she said pulling on her coat.

Olivia smiled and nodded.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

Later that evening, Olivia had just shown everyone out whilst Brian settled Mackenzie; she smiled and sat on the sofa with Alex and Cocoa on her lap.

"How you doing Liv?" Alex asked.

"I'm okay; I'm exhausted and emotional. I cant belive Brian did all this for me"

"He loves you"

"Yeah, I know; I made the mistake of turning him down after a one night stand 12 years ago. I really hurt him and honestly couldnt see a future with us but...I couldnt...I cant believe how happy he's actually made me. I have a beautiful daughter asleep upstairs and a little girl here" she said, rubbing her bump.

"You excited about her?"

"A little...but more nervous"

"Why nervous?" She asked, stroking Cocoa.

"Look at my parentage...a rapist for a father and an alcoholic for a mother; who knows what I might be passing on to her"

"All you will be passing on is your stubborness and caring ability; despite your parentage, you made a pretty damn good life for yourself"

"Thanks"

"We should gets some sleep; it's Mac's first Christmas with you so she'll probably have us up early" Alex suggested.

"Yeah, probably; Lex, I'm glad you're here" she said, hugging her best friend.

"I wouldnt want to be anywhere else; we've been through a lot, you saved my life"

"It's what friends do" she shrugged. "Night Lex"

"Night Liv"

Upstairs, Olivia kissed Mackenzie gently before settling next to Brian in their new bed.

"Did you have a nice chat with Alex?"

"Mmm"

"Get some sleep baby"

He kissed her forehead as she drifted off, safe in his arms.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

The next morning, Mackenzie quietly crept into Brian and Olivia's room and into their bed, between them; Olivia smiled as she slowly opened her eyes and saw her daughters sparkling blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hi princess, santa's been and brought you lots of presents"

"Really?!" She asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, because he knows you are a very special little girl who has been very brave and deserves to have lots of treats"

"Grandpa?"

"Yeah, grandpa is coming for dinner anf Aunt Alex is here too"

"And baby?" Mackenzie asked sweetly as she hugged Olivia's 22 week bump.

"Yeah, your baby sister will be here too" Olivia chuckled, stroking her hair "And Cocoa"

"And daddy" Brian added, tickling her.

"Daddy stop" she laughed.

"Morning princess, did you have a good sleep?"

"Yep...santa come"

"Well how about we put your robe on and go and have a look?" He suggested.

Mackenzie nodded and ran off to her room; having found her robe and putting it on, she took Olivia's hand as they went downstairs where Alex was sat on the sofa with Cocoa on her lap as she read a book.

"Look mommy" Mackenzie beamed, seeing all the presents under the tree " Lots of presents"

"Yeah, there is lots special girl; and most of them are yours"

"Yay"

After hours of opening presents, Mackenzie had crashed out on the floor, surrounded by all her toys, clearly overwhelmed, Brian was in the kitchen and Olivia was on the sofa, talking to Alex.

"How you feeling Liv?"

"Tired...but okay; I'll be glad when the holidays are over"

"At least you have a family to celebrate with now"

"I know; thank you for her presents, she loved them"

"I'm glad; it's so easy to buy for a lottle girl who doesnt have a lot"

"Yeah it is" she smiled, looking at her sleeping princess.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: just a quickie but more to come.

The weeks went by and Olivia's bump continued to grow; it had been decided that only Brian would be in the delivery suite when she gave birth. On May the 1st, Olivia had awoken with back ache and the urgent need to go to the bathroom. As she pulled herself up off the bed, she gasped as she felt the gush of fluid and heard it splash on the floor.

"Bri...Brian" she trembled, wanting him to wake as soon as possible. "Brian"

"Babe" he said, still half asleep.

"Bri, get your backside out of bed; your daughter is ready to meet us" she groaned.

"What?! Are you okay?" He asked, leaping out of bed and to her side.

"Just scared" she whispered.

"Okay; I'm going to wake Alex and then we'll head to the hospital"

Alex had been staying for the last week incase Olivia went into labour in the middle of the night; throughout the day, Brian rubbed her bavk and soothed her through her contractions. Finally, at 3.30pm, 9 hours after her waters broke, she had finally pushed her daughter into the world; she smiled tired as Brian kissed her forehead whilst the nurse checked the baby girl.

"Baby girl Cassidy is ready for mommy; she's a healthy weight and beautiful" the nurse said, placing the baby against Olivia's chest to get the skin to skin contact.

"She's perfect Bri" she whispered.

"Does baby Cassidy have a name?" The nurse asked.

"Lexi...Lexi Jane Cassidy" Olivia answered "Welcome to the world princess"

She smiled and kissed her, resisting the urge to fall asleep but failing.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

An hour later, Olivia had just finished breastfeeding when Alex entered the room with Mackenzie.

"Hey princess, come and meet your sister"

Mackenzie carefully climbed onto the bed and sat next to her mom.

"Pretty, what's her name mommy?" She asked, holding Lexi's hand.

"Her name...is Lexi" she smiled, looking up at Alex "After her amazing Aunt"

"She's beautiful Liv, absolutely beautiful" Alex said.

"Yeah, she is; does Aunt Alex want a hold?"

"I'd love to"

With Lexi safe in Alex's arms, Olivia wrapped her arms around Mackenzie and kissed her.

"Mommy missed you princess; did you have fun with Aunt Alex?"

"We made cake"

"You did?! Was it yummy?"

"No have it yet; it for you and baby"

"Thank you; how about you give daddy a big hug and ask him for a drink?"

"Come here princess"

As Brian left with Mackenzie, Alex sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Olivia.

"She really is beautiful; how are you doing?"

"Tired but it's worth it; she's finally here"

"Well, I've today and tomorrow off so I'll take Mac to kindergarten"

"Thank you; there us a reason our daughter is called Lexi. You've been there for me for years, especially during the pregnancy; I wanted a name to be proud of"

"What are friends for?" She said, handing Lexi bck to her mom.

That evening, the squad had just left, Cragen was visiting in the morning, Alex had taken Mackenzie home and Olivia was sat feeding her daughter.

"Our little angel Liv; you were perfect" he said, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to head home now but I'll be back in the morning"

"I love you" she said, looking at him. "We both do"

"I love you both too; get some sleep"

"I promise"

He kissed her gently and then his daughter before leaving; she smiled and looked down at Lexi.

"You have a pretty special daddy Lexi; you have him wrapped around your little finger already. You have an amazing big sister and Auntie and Grandpa; we might not be a conventional family but...we're pretty special and happy. You were a surprise but a happy one; daddy and I cant wait to get you home"

She kissed her forehead and winded her before settling her in the cot at the side of the bed, allowing her to lie down and watch her daughter sleep until she also drifted off.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

Three days later, on Saturday, Olivia and Lexi were discharged from the hospital and were at home; Olivia was settled on the sofa, holding Lexi as there was a knock on the door. Brian answered to find Simon and baby Olivia; Olivia smiled as her brother sat next to her.

"Hey sis, she's beautiful"

"Yeah, this is your uncle Simon Lexi and your cousin Olivia" she said, lifting her slightly.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm good; tired...but happy"

"Is Mackenzie happy?"

"Yes, she's loving the idea of been a big sister"

"Where is she?"

"Out with her grandpa; Brian wanted to give me a chance to settle Lexi in before the bundle of energy returns. How's my little niece doing?"

"Missing her aunt Liv"

"I'm sorry I haven't contacted you lately" she apologised.

"You've had enough to deal with; little Olivia would like to know if you're still coming to her birthday party next week?" He asked, glancing at the sleeping toddler on his lap.

"I wouldnt miss it for the world; thank you for coming today, you really didn't have to though"

"We wanted to...and now, I'm gonna leave you to get some rest. We'll see you next week sis"

"Okay, give Olivia a kiss from me"

"I will; I'll see myself out. Bye Liv"

"Bye Si"

As Simon left, Olivia took Lexi up to the master bedroom and fed her before settling her in the basinette next to the bed and lying doen; she slept for the following three hours until Mackenzie climbed on the bed and kissed her, snuggling under the covers with her mom.

"Hey princess, mommy missed you" she whispered, kissing her hair.

"Lexi...here?"

"Yeah, she's sleeping; did you have fun with your grandpa?"

"Yeah, he took me to park and to his house"

"That's great; what did you have dinner?"

"Chicken and fries"

"Wow, did you say thank you to grandpa for looking after you today?"

"Yep mommy"

"Good girl; how about we have pizza tonight?"

"Yay"

"Where's daddy?" Olivia asked.

"I'm here; hpw you doing baby?" He asked, walking into the bedroom and sitting next to her.

"Tired...but okay; we have our family"

"Yeah we do; Don's coming for dinner tomorrow to see our princesses"

"Thank you" she murmered, slowing drifting off again.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

Two weeks later, Brian had gone back to work, Mackenzie was in Kindergarten and Olivia was at hpme with baby Lexi; she relished the time she had alone with her daugher. She sat up in bed and watched her daughter breastfeed; Brian had took Mackenzie on his way to work a d would finish in time to pick her up.

"It's just mommy and Lexi time; and I think we should go back to sleep for a little while. What do you think?"

Lexi let out a happy gurgle before latching back.

"Or maybe not" Olivia chuckled "Okay, mommy will have some breakfast and maybe we can take a walk outside?"

Hearing a knock on the door, she looked up and saw Alex holding a tray.

"Hey" she whispered, walking into the room "I brought you breakfast"

"Thanks, you didnt have to; are you not working today?" Olivia asked as she winded Lexi and handed her to Alex so she could eat.

"No, day off; I thought I'd finish unpacking"

She had moved in after Brian and Olivia agreed it would be nice to have another adult in the house for Mackenzie.

"It's gonna be great having you here"

"I think Mac was more than a little excited" she grinned, remembering how happy and hyper the 5 year old had been after they'd told her the news.

"Yeah, she was; I cant believe Lexi is three weeks old already"

"And looking more and more like her mommy everyday; shall we go for lunch today? Maybe get some lunch?"

"I dunno"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just...have this bad feeling about something. It's Brian...somethings happened" she said, reaching for her cell a d getting Brian's voicemail. "Bri, please call me as soon as you can; I need to know you're okay, please Bri"

"Liv, I'm sure he's okay" Alex said, trying to reassure her as Olivia put the tray on the bed and climbed out, throwing on some jeans, sneakers and hoodie and pulling her hair up into a loose bun. She'd just finished when her phone rang.

"Brian...please tell me you're okay?"

"Babe, calm down"

"Please"

"I'm fine...but I was hurt"

"Where are you?"

"At Mercy" he answered with a pause "I was shot"

"Oh god..." she sobbed.

"Liv, baby, I promise, I'm okay; it's just a flesh wound and bruises. I'm been discharged in a minute"

"But..."

"Baby...I'm okay, I promise; I'm gonna give my statement to IAB and then I'll be home"

"Promise?" She sniffed.

"I promise; go and hold our daughter and calm down for a while. I'll be as quick as I can; I love you"

"You too"

She hung up and collapsed on the bed, crying at how close she had come to losing him; settling Lexi into the basinette and putting the tray on the floor, Alex held Olivia as she cried herself to sleep. She awoke with a start when she felt someone kiss her lips; opening her eyes and seeing Brian, then noticing his bandaged arm, she held on tight and would let go.

"Hey babe, ssh, it's okay; I'm fine, see"

"You got shot?" She whispered tearfully.

"Barely; come on, let's see to our daughter"

He kissed her lovingly and took her hand.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

A/N: so this chapter was formed after a review I received. Hope you like it.

The next morning, they were sat in the park, watching Mac play; as they seen to their crying newborn, neither of the adults noticed the dejected look on Mackenzie's face. She climbed off the swing and ran over to the bench.

"Cuddle mommy?" She asked.

"Mommy's feeding your sister angel"

"Hoe about if daddy gives you a cuddle?" Brian offered.

"No" she sulked off, back to the swing.

Later, when they were sat in the diner for lunch, Olivia noticed Mackenzie was scribbling furiously over her placemat, something she hadnt done since the first time she'd met her.

"Princess, are you okay?" Olivia asked.

"Yes"

"Do you want ice cream after lunch?"

"No"

"What about a cookie or some cake?"

"No"

Olovia furrowed her eyebrows at her daughter's sudden change in attitude; when they got home, Mackenzie refused to play with them and had retreated back into her former self. By the time Olivia had gone to settle her into bed and read a story, she found her daughter had already climbed into bed and gone to sleep; brushing her hair back, she noticed the tear tracks down her face.

"Oh baby girl" Olivia whispered as she kissed her forehead and wiped away the tears.

She'd just settled Lexi back down after her midnight feed when she heard a noise from Mac's room; she quietly poked her head around the door to see her daughter pulling the sheet of her bed, the wet patch obvious to see.

"Baby"

"Sorry mommy"

"Did you have an accident?" She asked softly, kneeling in front of her.

Mackenzie nodded.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

Again, Mackenzie nodded.

"How about a cuddle from mommy and you can sleep in mine and daddy's bed?"

"No"

"Why not princess?"

"No love me no more" she pouted, the tears starting again.

"Why do you think we dont love you?" She asked, standing up and holding Mackenzie close.

"Lexi" she whispered.

"Oh princess" she sighed."we love you lots and lots; just because we have Lexi now, doesnt mean we dont love you. Is this why you were sad today and wouldnt talk or play with us?"

Mackenzie nodded.

"We promise to always love you and I think we need a special mommy and Mac day dont we?"

"Yeah" she answered, tiredly.

"Wanna sleep with me and daddy?"

"Yeah"

"Okay, lets change your nightie then"

After changing her princess nightie into her princess pyjamas, she settled Mackenzie in the bed between her and Brian and held her close.

"Want another story?"

Mackenzie nodded; after a quick read, the little girl fell back to sleep but Olivia did not. She stayed awake, only moving to feed ir change Lexi; when Brian awoke, he noticed the dark circles under Olivia's eyes.

"Baby, why aren't you sleeping?"

"Couldn't"

"Why not?"

"Mac...she's feeling pushed out by us"

"Did she tell you that?"

"She had a nightmare Brian and rather than coming to her mommy and daddy to comfort her, she decided to deal with ut alone because we were too busy with Lexi to notice her" she ranted.

"Liv..."

"No, Brian, she's right; we haven't spent much time with her. When I was pregnant, I was always tired and sleeping and now..."

"Don't beat yourself up about it; she obviously came in with you in the end. I'm gonna see to Lexi and we can get Alex to babysit and we can take our princess out for the day"

"But..."

"No buts; I want you to try and get some sleep. I'll make some pancakes for when she wakes and see what she wants to do today"

"Okay" she whispered, defeatedly.

"Get some sleep; we love you"

He kissed her forehead as she drifted off.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

Later that morning, Mackenzie had insisted on having a special day with Olivia only; she wanted to go to some place speca. Getting into a cab, Olivia told the driver the address before turning to her daughter.

"Where are we going mommy?"

"To a special place"

"Special where?"

"It's a surprise; and then afterwards, we'll do anything you want"

"Really?"

"Yep, anything at all; it's just mommy and Mac time. And I promise, we'll do it every week if you want? We can go to differwnt places and have fun"

"Promise mommy?"

"Pinky promise" she said, holding up her little finger for Mackenzie to pinky swear.

Twenty minutes later, Olivia paid the driver before holding Mackenzie's hand and leading her into the mall; when they got to the Bear Creationz store, they stopped.

"Ready princess?"

"Yep"

After some careful consideration, Mackenzie had chose the bear she wanted and had stuffed her.

"Baby, cover your ears so mommy can do a special message inside the bear"

When she had finished, she let Mackenzie uncover her ears as the shop worker stitched the bear; with the outfit chosen and put on, Olivia paid before allowing Mackenzie to carry the bear out of the store, sticking the certificate in her bag. Sitting in the food court with a drink and cookie each, Mackenzie squeezed the bear and listened to the message. _**'Hi princess, mommy loves you forever and always'. **_

"Love you mommy" she smiled, looking up at Olivia happily.

"I love you too baby; where do you want to go today?"

"Wanna make stuff"

"Make food or arty stuff like pictures?"

"Pictures"

**"Okay, there's a fun day at the art gallery; do you want to have a look?"**

**"Yes please"**

**At the gallery, they made clay pots and painted them, pictures and dressed up, taking photos along the way; after lunch, they headed to the fun afternoon at the community centre and played games and won prizes. By the time they arrived home at just after 6pm, Mackenzie was about ready to fall asleep standing up; Olivia took her shoes and coat off before tucking her into bed with her new bear and kissing her forehead. She left the room and found Brian in the nursery, rocking their daughter; she smiled tiredly and sat on his lap, holding Lexi and leaning back into his embrace.**

**"Did you have a good day?" He whispered, stroking her hair.**

**"Hmmm, we did the activity fun days at the gallery and community centre"**

**"Mac okay?"**

**"Asleep in bed, long day"**

**"Go and get a nap baby; Cragen's coming over tonight"**

**"How come?"**

**"Wants to see you"**

**"Okay, I'm gonna prepare dinner" she said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.**

**"It's all donr, go and rest"**

**"I'm fine" she said, standing up. "What are we having?"**

**"Macaroni cheese"**

**"Okay"**

**"You okay baby?" He asked.**

**"Tired, long 48 hours"**

**"I know princess; go and sleep for an hour, please baby"**

**"Bri, I'll be fine"**

**"Are you hungry? We can save Mac some"**

**"Sure, a little"**

**"Come on"**

**Olivia had finally fallen asleep whilst talking to Don; the Captain excused himself, allowing Brian to settle Olivia in bed before feeding Lexi and checking on Mac.**

**"Hey Mac, did you have a good nap?" He asked, sitting on the bed.**

**"Hungry daddy"**

**"How about some Mac and cheese and we can watch cartoons and you cna show me what you did with mommy?"**

**"I got new bear, listen"**

**She pressed its stomach and the message played; Brian smiled at his daughter's reaction. After warming the food, he allowed Mac to sit on the sof a to eat before she showed him the other stuff they'd done.**

**"For you daddy" she said, handing him the picture and decorated keepstake box.**

**"Wow, did you make these all by yourself?"**

**"Yep" she grinned.**

**"Thank you princess; did you have lots of fun with Mommy today?"**

**"Yep, me like been with mommy"**

**"And mommy loves been with you too; are you ready for bed now?"**

**"No"**

**"How about we watch more cartoons then?"**

**When Olivia awoke at just after midnight to feed Lexi, she noticed Brian wasnt next to her; with her daughter settled again, she headed downstairs, her heart melting at the sight of Mac and Brian asleep on the sofa, cartoons on in the bathroom. She smiled and carefully covered them with a blanket before heading back up to bed.**


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

Monday morning came and today was the day for the new routine; Olivia would take Mackenzie to Kindergarten then pick her up while Brian was at work. Olivia had woken early, fed and changed Lexi, got herself ready and did her hair before kissing Mackenzie's forehead, frowning slightly at her daughters fever.

"Sweetheart...time to wake up"

"Mommy" she moaned.

"Hi baby...are you okay?"

"Feel sick mommy"

"Okay, let's take your temperature"

She lifted Mackenzie onto her hip and into the ensuite bathroom; after checking her temperature and giving her some medicine, she settled her back into her bed and stroked her hair.

"You are staying home today baby; mommy's going to get you some juice, okay? I'll be right back, I promise"

After making a quick call to the Kindergarten and texting Brian, she grabbed the juice and headed back up to the bedroom.

"Here you go princess, have some juice" she said, giving her the cup. "Do you feel sick?"

Mackenzie noddes as Olivia grabbed the trash can and gave it to her just in time.

"It's okay princess; mommy's here"

When she'd finished, she had finally gone back to sleep; Olivia had washed out the trash can and checked on Lexi.

"Liv?" She heard a voice call her from downstairs. "Princess, where are you?"

"Upstairs daddy"

She heard him cominf up the stairs before entering the nursery.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, settling Lexi onto the changing table.

"Brian called me; how's Mac doing?"

"Sleeping; you really didnt need to come you know? We're fine"

"I wanted to; have you had breakfast yet?"

"Didn't get a chance; was waking until Mac woke up"

"I'll sit with her; you go and eat"

"Thank you" she whispered.

An hour later, she was sat on the edge of the bed with Cragen; Lexi back in the basinette and Mackenzie sleeping again after vomiting some more.

"You'll catch her bug if you stay"

"It's a risk I'll chance; how was your weekend? You fell asleep before telling me about Saturday"

"Sorry, I was exhausted; I didn't get any sleep on Friday night. Mac was feeling pushed out by Lexi and she finally told me during the night; needless to say, I didnt sleep after that and then I took her out all day and...I was tired"

"Princess you dont need to apologise; did you both have fun? That's the main thing"

"Yeah; she wanted to do arty stuff so we went to the art gallery and community centre fun days. She enjoyed making stuff" she answered, looking over at him. "We've got photos if you wanna see?"

"How about Mac shows me when she feels better? She can tell me all about it"

"Okay"

"Can I get you anything?"

"I'm okay; a part of me wants to be with Lexi but I dont want her to get sick or to leave Mac. She's still hesitant and if she's not well, I don't want her thinking I don't care" she admitted.

"You do what you need to do; the best thing for Mackenzie is to sleep and I can keep an eye on her"

"Mommy?" Mac moaned.

"It's okay princess, mommy's here; go back to sleep" she said, stroking her hair.

"Grandpa" she whispered.

"It's okay; Grandpa's here too. How about I read you a story until you go back to sleep?" He suggested.

Mackenzie nodded; with her daughter settled with Cragen, Olivia washed her hands before goong into the master bedroom. She sat on the bed, looking at her youngest daughter sleeping peacefully; she sighed and leant back on the bed, intending to just rest for a few minutes but fell asleep until an hour and half later when Mac climbed into the bed next to her, holding her bear close.

"Hi princess, are you feeling better?" She asked as she put a hand to her forehead, relived to find the fever had decreased somewhat.

"Hungry mommy"

"Do you still feel sick?"

"No"

"She hasn't thrown up since just after I got here" Cragen said from the doorway.

"Okay let's get you some toast then"

With Mackeznie settled on the sofa, watching cartoons as she ate, Olivia and Don stood against the kitchen counters with a drink each.

"You need to rest princess"

"I'm fine; when Mac is back in Kindergarten, I can rest"

"You need it now; Lexi is sleeping, I will sit with Mac but you need to rest. You dont look too good yourself"

"I'm just...it's just a headache"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, my daughters need me" she said, heading into the lounge and sitting on the sofa, allowing her daughter to climb into her lap and snuggle against her.

"Are you okay baby?"

She felt Mackenzie nodding against her body; Olivia kissed her hair and ran her fingers through the dark locks.

"How about we give you a nice bath? Get you into some clean pyjamas and watch one of your dvds?" She suggested.

"Okay mommy"


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I dont own SVU or its characters.

An hour later, they were lying in Olivia's bed, watching a dvd whilst Olivia fed Lexi and Mac had snuggled against her; Cragen had gone back to work.

"Where's daddy?" Mackenzie asked.

"He's at work; he'll be home later. We are gonna lie here and watch films until he comes home; do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"No"

"I love you princess"

"Love you mommy"

When Brian returned home a few hours later, he found all three of his girls sleeping; he sat on the bed and stroked Olivia's hair back and kissed her forehead before going downstairs. He was in the middle of preparing dinner when he heard a noise behind him; turning around, he saw Olivia standing in front of him, hair a mess and sleep still in her eyes.

"Hey, how's Mac doing?" He asked, hugging her.

"Better; her fever is down and she hasn't thrown up since before lunch"

"And what about you?"

"I'm okay, just a headache"

"Did you get some rest too?"

"A couole of hours"

"Have you eaten?"

"A little" she admitted.

"Dinner won't be long; can I get you anything?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

"I'm fine" she whispered.

"You look pale baby...and you feel warm"

"I'm..." the smell of the dinner cooking finally hit her nose and caused her to go running upstairs into the bathroom; turning the food down, Brian ran after her and rubbed her back as she knelt over the toilet.

"I think you've caught Mac's bug; I'm gonna settle Mac into her own bed and then we'll get you settled"

Twenty minutes later, she was settled in bed, a cooling cloth on her head as Brian stroked her hair.

"Try and get some sleep; we'll see how you are in the morning"

She nodded slightly as she drifted off; as he fed Lexi on the sofa, Alex walked in and hung her coat up and placed her briefcase on the side table before sitting next to him.

"Where's Liv?" She asked.

"In bed, asleep; she's caught the bug from Mac"

"Oh dear"

"Yeah, wanna take your niece whilst I finish dinner?" He offered.

"Sure, give me five minutes to get change"

Having got changed, she sat on the sofa, rocking Lexi as Mackenzie came down and snuggled into her side.

"Hi princess, are you feeling better?"

"Mommy sick" she nodded.

"I know she is but by the morning, she'll be fine, just like you are"

"Me go school?"

"I dont know princess, it depends on hiw you're feeling; mommy and daddy might want to keep you at home to make sure you are not going to be sick again"

"Oh" she pouted.

"It's okay though because I'm working from home tomorrow so I'll be able to play a little with you and read you a story"

"You sick?"

"No, I'm not sick baby girl"

"Me sick" she said sadly as she laid down on the sofa, her head in Alex's lap.

"Ssh, it's okay; you were sick but now you're feeling a bit better aren't you?"

Mackenzie shook her head; Alex sighed as she winded Lexi and settled her in the rocker before holding Mac close.

"Baby girl, do you want some food?" Brian asked as he knelt in front of the sofa.

"No" she whispered.

"Do you still frel sick?" He asked, putting a hand to her forehead. "You don't have a fever; are you sad princess?"

Mackenzie nodded.

"Why are you sad?"

"Mommy sick...my fault"

"Oh princess" he sighed. "Mommy is sick but she wanted to look after you and make you feel better; she's having a sleep and when she wakes up in the morning, she'll be feeling better and can spend some time with you. Come here angel"

She climbed into his arms as he stood up and held her close, rubbing her back as he walked around the room until she had calmed down.

"Do you want to see mommy?"

Mackenzie nodded against his shoulder; carrying her upstairs, she lay next to Olivia and hugged her middle.

"See, she's sleeping princess; she's feeling sick like you were and you slept a lot this morning didnt you?" He asked, sitting next to her and stroking her hair.

"Yes"

"And you felt better when you woke up didn't you?"

"Yes"

"So will mommy in the morning but for her to feel better she needs to sleep; so how about...we go and have some dinner and a bath and then you csn say night to mommy before reading a story?"

"Already had bath"

"You did? Did mommy give you one earlier?"

"With grandpa"

"Okay, no bath then"

"Hungry daddy" she said, looking at him.

"Come on princess"

After dinner, he played a game with her before helping her into her pyjamas; they laid in the double bed in the master bedroom as Olivia smiled and looked at them.

"Hey princess" she whispered.

"You sick mommy"

"A little but you make me feel better; did daddy give you some dinner?" She asked, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Yes"

"That's good; is daddy going to read you a story before bed?"

"Yep...here"

"Let's snuggle then"

Mackenzie was still awake when the story had finished so Brian left her with Olivia whilst going to relieve Alex from looking after Lexi; with a full tummy and clean diaper, he settled his youngest daughter in the basinette before sliding in the other side of Mackenzie.

"You ready to go to bed princess?" He asked, lookjng at his adoptive daughter.

"No" she pouted.

"Why dont we watch cartoons?" He suggested, turning on the tv. "Hiw you feeling baby?"

"Tired, but okay" she admitted.

"Still feel nauseous?"

"No"

"Want me to get you anything?"

"I'm fine; how's Lexi?" She asked turning onto her side to look at him properly.

"She's perfect; had a nice few hours with her aunt Alex this afternoon"

"We should keep her home tomorrow" dhe whispered, her eyes flicking briefly to Mac before back to Brian. "She cna go back on Wednesday"

"Okay; Alex is working from home tomorrow so take it easy and if you need to take a nap, then promise me you will?"

"I promise"

"Okay, I should settle her in bed"

"Let her stay" she mumbled, joining her daughter in the land of nod; he chuckled quietly and turned the tv onto the sports channel.


End file.
